It’s Amazing – I Can’t Believe It – I’m Buzzing

Adam Armstrong made his first team debut for Newcastle United on Saturday, and it could be a momentous occasion for a young player who has great potential, and hopefully Adam can become a regular Newcastle first team player before too long.

Adam Armstrong shoots over the bar at Fulham
Certainly he has amazing potential and John Carver has said today he is a natural goalscorer.

Adam hails from Chapel Hill estate where I used to live when I was still in Newcastle (had to look it up – but we lived at 8 Coldside Gardens – and yes it was cold), before I left for IBM in Hursley, and the young budding star had this to say in the Chronicle today:

“It was a disappointing result.” “Obviously the lads done really well but couldn’t get through at the end. I am absolutely buzzing to get on and make my Premier League debut.”

“This is what it’s all about.” “As a young kid this is what you want to do.” “For me to get here and come on is just amazing.” “I can’t believe it – I’m buzzing.”

Armstrong has just been selected once again for the the England Under-17 squad, this time for the European Championships in the Czech Republic this summer, so that’s something we’ll keep an eye on – as well as the World Cup in Brazil of course.

Adam won the Wor Jackie trophy at the Sport Newcastle awards event just last Monday, and John Carver, who also gave 18 year-old Charles N’Zobgbia his Newcastle debut ten years ago – had this to say about the 17 year-old:

“The thing about Adam is, he’s a young lad who is level-headed. He won’t get carried away by it. He will get his head down and continue to work hard.

“This is just a taste of what could happen for him. If he has a career in the game, then great.” “The last guy I gave a debut to was Charles N’Zobgia in the 3-0 win against Blackburn when I was caretaker.”

“He went on to make a decent career. Hopefully Adam can too.”

If Luuk de Jong and Papiss Cisse are having trouble scoring again on Saturday, we’d love to see this lad brought on – and maybe even for the whole of the second half.

Sage
Agree Pardew isn’t a great manager, the style of football isn’t great but he had around where we should be
Could another manager get more out of this group of players? Possibly have us one maybe two places higher but don’t think there’s much more to squeeze tbh
Think we as fans massively over rate our players, we hear it thrown around that we have a team full of internationals but it’s not like there regular internationals, one or two of them but certainly not the whole squad
Krul Taylor Colo Yanga Santon HBA Marv Anita Sissoko Gouffran De Jong all are only ever on the fringes of the national squads
We have a squad full of players who have either had potential but never reached it or have potential but are struggling to prove it
We have two proven players at top level in Tiote and Debuchy and that’s about it, possibly Remy

As for investment in the summer, comments made earlier this year just prove that this shambles is getting made up as it goes along, the club via JfK claimed that from now on only one or two players would be signed each calendar year, we were five players short when we had the panic buy last January, we have since let five go, with all the predicted depattures this summer, whose idea was it to announce our transfer strategy.

I’m as critical of Ashley as they come, but within that criticism includes those complicit in his ‘crimes’ and I’m afraid that includes Alan Pardew.

By no means do I think Pardew is a major problem at the club – he is but a symptom – but nor do I have any sympathy for this slithering spineless snake who has brought our club into disrepute and repeatedly lied to the fans to protect his omnipotent leader from criticism.

Add to that the fact he dedicated one of our best wins of the season to Mike Ashley and you begin to get a picture of the bloke.

We could get a better manager in, but we won’t, and while I will always want an Alan Pardew led Newcastle side to win, I will never have sympathy or trust for the man and that is a sad way to feel about the manager of your club.

Sage
Fully agree
We have at best 3-4 regular consistent performers in Debuchy, Tiote, Colo (ish) and Williamson
Cabaye was probably our most consistent performer and when he found that level we had him out the door faster than you can say Wonga!

The only consistency with the rest is there inconsistency!
You look at our apparent “top class” lads, Marv, HBA, Cisse, Krul none of them can seem to maintain a level of form for any extended period, this isn’t just here, this is over there career’s

As you said there’s a reason we get them so cheap, granted we land the odd absolute bargain, like Cabs via a clause or Ba also on a clause or Goofy who’s contract is running down but for the most part it’s because clubs are almost cashing in whilst there stocks still high
That’s not to say these lads aren’t going to reach there potential but for some it looks highly unlikely…

Ciaran
Agree and have sympathy for him but with club as it is with financial restrictions and squad and staff i don’t think there’s a lot more to get out of this squad except maybe a more attractive style to keep us mid table

The point being is that Pardew knows that he’s feeding the paying public a line when he claimed that Cabaye would be replaced if he was sold, or when after the final game of last season he claimed that we were looking at getting 2 or 3 players ‘over the line’ to strengthen.

So if a manager is willingly lying to the fans, how can we have anything but disdain for the man? Of course, this aspect of his management is a consequence of the shoddy way in which Mike Ashley is running the club, but I’ll refuse to ever say I ‘feel sorry’ for Pardew.

I felt sorry for Keegan, but respected him for being principled enough to stand up to his bully boy tactics. I felt sorry for Hughton because he was wrongly kicked out of the club after doing a magnificent job.

Exactly…they could develop to be more consistent but it’s unlikely…it’s the very reason we smash teams 3-0 sometimes then the week after get beat 5-0 and why we can scrape wins when not playing well as if one of our players turns up they can bail us out with an individual goal.

Consistently good players usually cost top money (upwards of 10mil).

I have no sympathy for pardew, if he didn’t like the job he could walk away and straight into another one as he has a reputation as good manager, he is sticking around and as Ciaran says being a mouthpiece for the owner, trying to justify the rubbish we get served up from Ashley.

I always wanted campbell to get a run last year, but last year there was a lot more pressure on, we were battling relegation where this year we are comfortable and will neither go up nor down more than a single place, much easier for the kid.

Just been checking out John Gibsons’ article in the Chronicle when he talks about Shearer, Supermac and Wor Jackie. After reading the article I think it might be desirable to greet my fellow bloggers with phrases such as “Hello sailor” or “Ooooooh hello boyz”. (Bear with me on this for a while longer).
An extract from John Gibsons’ article is as follows:-
“Why were Alan Shearer, SuperMac and Wor Jackie so revered by the camp followers of Newcastle United?”

Well after supporting the Toon for many a year to describe our supporters as “camp” is I think a step too far.
Definition of camp from Cambridge Online Dictionaries :-
” behaving and dressing in a way that some people think is typical of a gay man:”

I agree, never easy but much easier coming into a team that’s playing better and also under less pressure to win…obviously they want to win every game, but he will know one mistake won’t cost us prem league survival, which was the case last year.

BandB…Ah yes, the great tactic of giving a substandard product less expensively than just charging the going rate for what everyone wants….I love the way Ashley runs Sports Direct, I mean Newcastle United.

I hope these benefiting fans are aware that their reward is coming out of our transfer kitty this summer 😉

In honor of two dedicated Newcastle fans, who lost their lives supporting Newcastle United.

Their passenger jet was shot down over Ukraine on Thursday July 17th, 2014 by rebels, as they were traveling to support the team in New Zealand.

We will never forget them.

Health Update - 4 Aug, 2016

The good news last week was that after more blood tests my PSA count is still undetectable

This means the prostate cancer is still under control, and there is no trace of it in the body.

Now to be even more vigilant so I can see the Rafa Benitez project come to its fruition over the next few years - wouldn't want to miss that.

Howay The Lads!!>

Ed Harrison

What Is A Football Club?

What is a club in any case?

Not the buildings or the directors or the people who are paid to represent it.

It’s not the television contracts, get-out clauses, marketing departments or executive boxes.

It’s the noise, the passion, the feeling of belonging, the pride in your city.

It’s a small boy clambering up stadium steps for the very first time, gripping his father’s hand, gawping at that hallowed stretch of turf beneath him and, without being able to do a thing about it, falling in love.